Dawn of Injustice
by Eva Hydra Dahl
Summary: Bruce has the chance to kill Clark, an opportunity he turns down in favor of better judgment. Their destiny no longer shrouded in darkness it is a new dawn. Not only for them... The rules have changed and the villains are coming together too Unlikely alliances are being formed on all fronts both hero and enemy. Who's side will you fall on in the end? Batman/Superman Superbat
1. Chapter 1

"This is not the right way. This is not want you want."

That urging voice, innocent and sincere riddling him from the inside. The voice of a man... no not a man, an alien of great, immense power that could rule and ruin all the world speaking to him as if somehow he knew what it was that he truly wanted. Wasn't this the right way?

A hard decision had to be made ever since Superman was unleashed on Metropolis, flying through the skies and rescuing those who's fate finally found them, ill hearts and burning eyes look to their savior and mark him their nemeses. The villains of this world rose to the battleground that was Superman's awesome power and developed new ways to bring him down, by the sheer strength of those equal to his power who followed him here, those who sought out technology to defeat him and finally the desperate few who threatened the lives of the innocent. The scale of warfare brought upon this place, the devastation and misplaced worship all because of one being who wanted to do good.

This man possessed immense power and the will to use that power for good when so many in his place would abuse it, Clark cared for a world that would never understand him a world even Bruce would sometimes look upon with disappointment and frustration, and in truth Bruce envied Clark's heart. The Batman held the power over him now and there should have been a swell of victory in his veins but they had only chilled, ice cold under his skin, he felt nothing but those words.

If Superman was allowed to go on many more would come for him, and many would die in the crossfires of those battles, many against the few, this was the way.

Bruce took the crystallized Kryptonite from Luthor's hands and the young man took a step away from him, the crystal glowed a brilliant green that was almost too hard to look at. Bruce waved it over the motionless body of Superman and the alien began to writhe against the pummeled cement under him. Clark opened his blue eyes to stare at the man who was trying to destroy him, was this the justice that had to be done?

Bruce watched on as Clark's body shook under the glow of green, cries of immense pain ringing in his ears, a hand reached out toward him and the voice rang out in the wreckage  
that had once been a building.

"Please..."

Bruce's grip on the Kryptonite began to weaken for just a moment, destroying the Superman was what had to be done but at what cost? Everything Bruce stood for was about to stain his hands with blood, would he really try to plunge this into his heart? His body was defying him as he felt the blood drain from his face, fear of his own conviction.

"Th...There's another way..."

Clark was losing consciousness and Bruce had to make a decision. After what felt like weeks of planning, training, fighting and trapping it seemed now that all he had believed was no longer in his heart. Alfred's words echoed in his mind even though he hadn't listened the first time "He is not our enemy!" followed by the screams of his rage in the collapsing streets of Metropolis watching Wayne Financial Tower crumbling to dust, taking with it more lives. So many conflicting feelings were divided and fighting inside him to surface.

What alternative was there to ending Superman's life? Would the powerful aliens really stop coming to earth, if they did come and did not find what they were looking for more lives would be lost. Criminal's would keep growing stronger with the technology they'd already built, more natural disasters would arrive, and people would die.

Bruce would close his eyes and every moment he would see this; a hand reaching out to him for mercy and the last breaths of someone he should have saved. And suddenly Jason Todd's face appeared a bloodied hand outstretched to him before the Joker smashed his face with a crowbar and carried his body away into the shadows.

The Kryptonite flew past Lex's face hitting the damaged wall on the other side, the young man was taken by surprise "What are you doing?" he shouted approaching them but stopping short of a batarang pointed centimeters from his eye.

"Leave us!" Bruce commanded his voice full of authority and rage, an internal anger and disappointment with his own actions. The Batman fell to his knees beside Clark's body, he was still and for a moment Bruce thought it was too late.

After what felt like an eternity Clark's eyes opened a blue of a clear sky over the peak of day, soft with a forgiveness that Bruce could not understand, he did not deserve it. It was too late for him to be redeemed for all the fighting and pain that he had caused.

"I have failed our cities." he declared as he stared at the cement floor filled with nothing but regret and frustration, he'd lost too much this last few years and now finally he'd lost even himself.

A hand took hold of his wrist and surprised him, Bruce met Clark's eyes and suddenly something changed, hopelessness was replaced as the broken voice hardly above a whisper

"You are a good man, Bruce."

Bruce laid his free hand over Clark's and spoke in his deeper voice "When our enemies come I'll be there to help you fight them." Clark's expression grew brighter and a smile appeared as some of the mobility in his body came back to him but he was still clearly in pain, Bruce had finally accepted him and understood why he couldn't give up this fight.

Clark used the wrist as leverage to pull himself up and nodded to Bruce "We're on the same side." the older hero allowed a weak smile to appear for only a brief moment before it disappeared. Bruce slipped his hand under Clark's knees and placed the other at his back lifting him up into his arms before carrying him out of the building that began to crumble behind them, the rubble rolling downward to cover the glowing Kryptonite and the rain began to fall from the ever overcast sky of Gotham.

And so it was that the death of Superman was not the solution to keeping the world safe rather it was not letting him fight alone against power equal or succeeding his own. More would come to see this as the way and fight alongside each other so neither had to stand alone.

A new age was dawning over the sister cities, a dawn of what was right and fair, a dawn of justice.


	2. Knightmare Batman

"Bruce the Watchtower is coming down! A projectile has split it into pieces it's flying toward the atmosphere now!"

Bruce hoisted the girl up into his arms his heart pounding heavy in his chest, fear. He was very much afraid of this devastation and how powerless he was to stop it. "Alfred call Luthor get the fallout shelters open! We need to get these people out of the way!" Bruce's feet were slipping on the concrete rubble, he leaned forward instinctively to balance out the weight and managed to get the girl to the street. "Head down here see that tunnel down there where all the cars are?"

The girl nodded she was surprisingly responsive, Bruce envied her bravery.

It was distant cries that caught his attention, voices buried under the rebars calling out for help. Bruce closed his eyes for only a brief second to be sure this wasn't just a nightmare but when he opened them again the skyline was still shrouded in powdered cement and smoke. He could feel the noise drowning out, the sirens, half destroyed buildings colliding, cries. Fury and fear was clouding his vision.

And just for a second he lost control and hadn't noticed the girl slip away, but she wasn't running toward the tunnel. Instead the girl was back where they had just been and she was trying to lift small piece of cement with all her strength. Bruce immediately followed her lead, scrambling back over the rubble to where she was digging "There's someone under here!" she exclaimed with her small voice.

Bruce nodded to her pulling up any piece he could lift "Is anybody down here?" he called maneuvering his body into the small open space under the protruding metal beams.

A few voices rang out under the destruction from different directions "Hold on I'll get you all out of here just keep talking!" screams rang out from behind him and Bruce turned just in time to see the Superman pummeled into the side of a sky-scrapper next-door to the destroyed ruin of Wayne Tower by General Zod.

Zod took off into the sky and Superman after him having not seen the damage they had done to the building that was now beginning to fall in their direction. Bruce's reflexes finally came to him and he reached out to grab the girl and pull her in under the rubble "Everyone hold on!" his voice was desperate as he covered the girl closing his eyes a vain hope that they would survive.

There was a moment of silence waiting in anticipation of the inevitable collision it felt like the longest few seconds Bruce had ever experienced but when it hit the impact was devastating. Brutal screams of pain, sobbing cries and silence in nothing but darkness and powdered cement for air to breathe. Bruce felt dizzy like maybe something had struck him in the collision and he tried to bring his hand to his forehead but found that it was caught between metal and glass. He was still for a minute maybe longer time was hard to keep, but he will remember that sound a piercing blood curdling scream that echoed out on the surface it was the Superman. Was he dying? Was Metropolis destroyed out there?

Bruce tried desperately to move but could feel the glass cut into his arm and stopped, the metal beam below had his ankle in a vice and his breath was coming short, he couldn't see anything. "Is anyone still alive in here!?" he called out hoping for any reply any sound would do. But nothing came and suddenly Bruce wondered if he was the only one alive down here, all of this had happened so fast and now maybe even his life was coming to its end.

Hours passed, more than one he could be sure of it, the fearless vigilante of Gotham broken and powerless, buried under the foot of the alien supermen. Everything he had fought for it was just going to end here. He was a dead man. The brave little girl nowhere to be found among the rubble obstructing most of his view. She was a hero.

All those voices. All those people.

The Batman's heart was torn apart inside, heaving in clouded air desperately trying to lift the cement that continued to cascade down over his face. All the will had left him, there was nothing in him anymore.

"Master..." came a digital disembodied voice so very faint

Bruce's eyes searched every crevice and soon after he realized who owned that voice

"Alfred!"

There was a silence more deafening than the one since the bank had crashed on top of them.

"Master... Wayne."

Bruce scrambled around the openings with his free hand, he froze when his fingers brushed against hair. He turned his head as far as he could, straining to see with only small cracks in the ceiling of rubble overhead letting in tiny beams of light. His forefinger brought into the light, a perfect circle of red staining his skin. The golden strands of hair sprawled out beside his cell phone glowing a dull blue.

Bruce rested his forehead against the cement protrusion clenching his eyes shut, a small pained whine escaped him, and a long silence followed.

Reaching for the phone, voice weak and broken he pleaded

"Alfred. Please help us."

Bruce woke abruptly in a cold sweat, eyes wide with terror. This nightmare had haunted him since that day. All those feelings as real as that very moment, the fear, pain and anger.

He could never forget them. As long as he lived.


	3. Dawn of the Injustice League

Bright floodlights blinded an unlikely audience gathered against their better judgment in this pitiful underground sewer network not that the putrid smell penetrated this area of the system, its pipes protruded from every wall and the sound of water trickling like rain echoed through the acoustic space. Suspicious eyes shifted from one onlooker to the next apprehensively awaiting the first move, all of them holding their various weapons close to them, some weapons more overtly obvious than others of course. The uneasy atmosphere was disturbed by their summoner and host Lex Luthor who strode up to the makeshift meeting table, his figure outlined by the floodlights and all hands scrambled to the trigger or hilt of their weapons ready for anything Luthor had prepared for them. His voice trailed into the space as he began his opening address to this collective league of injustice.

"The atomic bomb was the weapon that effectively brought an end to world war two a weapon whose destruction ruled with fear over most of the 20th and even 21st century. Trust among us all was fractured and arms were taken up against each other in secret. Technology was the worlds greatest enemy and for a time we feared only ourselves and the military power that we could wield against one another. But I tell you now from a time that has known a new weapon, something not of our own hands or minds an uncontrollable power so brilliant in its being that we'd even go so far to call it one of us, welcome in our homes and hearts and allow it to be free to use its own devastating power whenever it chooses. An idol not of literature, legend or myth but real flesh and blood, never has the world been so consumed with faith and appreciation as far as worship. A world conquered by a single being and divided by its existence. But unlike those before us we should not hoard our own defenses and act individually, together we may come to defeat this weapon. They'd all like to believe the Superman and his allies to be incorruptible and innocent but in truth we'd all be glad someday if someone came and took them away from us, such a power shouldn't exist in our corner of the galaxy. We are not ready nor is it looking like we'll ever be. A man like me could take them off our hands and remove these idols from the clutches of the desperate hands clinging to it with hope. We should not depend on anything to rescue us from fate, to carry the weight of our struggles and fight our battles for us. No. We should reject this honor bestowed on us and restore order. Men like me will bare the fury of the grief stricken world in their absence but behind all of their cries of conviction is relief!"

Lex slammed his palms against the meeting table to emphasize his point, not startling a single member of his audience which pleased him. They gave only their approval through their eyes, agreement partnered with acknowledgment of his genius no doubt.

"The world as I see it is a machine, the machine thrives on duality, day and night, happy and sad, good and evil. The world needs those who do not have its best interests at heart just as much as those who do. I am proving a theory by having you all here tonight that I alone am not the only concerned citizen in this city or rather cities. I propose to you that the machine has a spanner wedged between its most vital pieces; fear and control. Without villainy what are we to fear? Accidents maybe? and what if we are rescued from that also? Can we all be glad to have such an involved and present savior or should we stop expecting his charity and altruism and fend for our own selves has that not been our way since we first made our mark on this planet? Control is fueled by power, without this power in the hands of the many it can corrupt and consume all. The Superman and his allies are a threat to our world. I believe we should not put faith in a any who could destroy us all if he had the mind to. The question is when. When will we destroy them first."

Luthor was met with agreement from the gathering, a promising start for everyone to be one the same page now it was just a matter of convincing them to work together.

Finally an interjection arose from the audience a sardonic and patronizing tone partnered with emphatic hand gestures in illustration of his words "We thought that maybe you'd have managed to put an end to the Superman already Luthor. It seems you thought having the Batman fight your battles for you was the way to go. I hardly believe you're the man for this job."

Luthor closed his eyes repressing the urge to retaliate and readjusted his cuff links "Tough crowd." He leaned in bracing his hands either side of the table before continuing "I regret having not killed two birds with one stone. But now I have all of you here, we can consolidate our strength."

"You say Superman is the real threat but what about all the others like him?"

Luthor looked to the end of the table and could only see a bright yellow gleam and contrasting vibrant purple that glowed against the floodlight. "You are quite right in that respect they all need to go. The issue is getting the world to agree with us."

"Doomsday was an effective weapon what became of him?" a heavy South American accent drowned out all the other murmurings, a towering giant of a man with a unmissable tank strapped to his back.

Luthor shook his head "Unfortunately Doomsday is unavailable but I have been assured that if our experiment proves successful he will provide as an asset in the future."

"What about the Kryptonite?" This time a distorted voice came from beside him and Lex watched the man who was also dressed in yellow all the rage these days perhaps, his figure seemed to be vibrating so much that the area around him blurred, making it hard to see or hear him properly.

Lex absentmindedly ran his hand over his bald head remembering how the exposure to that element had brought him more harm than the Superman. "I was not able to secure the Kryptonite, having only barely escaped with my life and freedom. Wayne enterprises swooped in on the property reconstruction for good publicity no doubt before my shadow organizations could take the project and secure me the Kryptonite."

The patronizing voice returned again an outstretched green clad finger adjusting the glasses on the bridge of his nose as he snapped at their host "Then what is it you brought us here for, have you any proposals?"

Luthor's eyes expressed a nefariousness that accompanied a unsettling smirk.

"As a matter of fact I do have one."

Lex pushed off from the meeting table and made his way back through the glare of the floodlights gesturing for his audience to follow him all of whom were still very reluctant. But after having past the beams of light the scene before them was shrouded in darkness for just a moment before a structure began to appear in the shadows a distant tall and complex building embedded into the very foundations of the sewer system. Made entirely of metal and glass it seemed with beams of metal jutting in and around every level of the structure with tall glass windows revealing a furnished space the colors of cool white, gray and black. Sturdy but hastily brought together on short notice it served the purpose that Luthor had in mind for it. A place of operations out of sight out of mind.

"I understand we are all from various backgrounds and tactics but we all share a common goal. I am not asking that you abandon your ever... Effective, elaborate ways but merely allow me a chance to show you something greater. I propose that just as our enemies are organizing together in a team known only as the 'Justice League'..." he cringed at that title leading his followers up a winding set of stairs "...We should also join ranks, and in one all very unexpected manner we attack all at once from every angle, all of us." Luthor stopped at the top of the stairs that opened into a board room although much more professional in appearance compared to the makeshift one down stairs.

The green gloved man gave a short laugh "You should have made your pitch to us in here Luthor." implying that it may have made them more inclined to be persuaded.

Luthor turned to face them abruptly "I used that setting because it's what you're all used to no? Second best, out in the open. I had to make the pitch in a environment you'd understand. Don't you see Mr Nygma that is what all of our scheming plans have been so far? Not up to scratch. That is going to change. In fact it already has."

"You want to recruit everyone for this fight?" Bane walked past Luthor into the room anxious to get past pleasantries and petty discussions.

"I intend to acquire everyone."

Bane encircled him "It's Penguin you'd be wanting. But he cannot be trusted, all resourceful men are the same in that respect."

Scarecrow spoke up for the first time since arriving to the sewers that he and many other villains were already rather familiar with "There are some of us that are hard to reach. In fact I know one that won't agree to your terms and conditions Luthor." the room fell silent as all knew well who it was he was speaking of.

"Dr Crane I am well aware of The Jokers absence these last few years. But I believe even men such as him have access points and before long I will entice him with something he cannot resist."

"And what would that be?" Sinestro asked leaning over the back of a black leather chair.

"The chance to take out the Batman with a bang." The villains smiled at that it was sure to convince a mind as twisted as the Joker. "Better yet I have some of him already." There was a look of confusion in his audience and Lex sighed turning to a set of metal doors behind him and pulled them open to reveal a familiar face. The audience of villains were surprised to see the face so close to the glass on the other side staring at them with a cool emotionless eyes under disheveled green hair that instilled fear in even the more powerful of them.

Lex scolded leaning against the glass that separated them.

"Now now Mr Todd do play nice with our guests."


	4. Team of Two

The copper sphere of the daily planet stood proud and idle above the city skyline of Metropolis like watchful eyes, a guardian of truth among the corporate world that towered over another entire life beneath it. An underworld of people who lived out their lives with their heads down in the shadow of wealth and fortune, power and politics. What had such a people have to fight for?

The word 'fight' was a politicians word for the will of power, thrust upon men who carried out the fighting, meaninglessly dying draped in flags hanging in the parlor of a rich mans home. These people after every misfortune that has befallen them as a collective and as individuals have persevered. Evil will always finds one of us, someone who is scared, alone, angry or corrupt and it will always turn man against itself. Now as the greatest monster this world has seen lay dead among the carnage of the Gotham harbor, people were emerging from their homes back into the streets, liberated from fear. Clark stood with his arms crossed looking out from his window down on this city of Metropolis some of the image was blurred by the rain pattering against the glass, he was consumed in thought. His attention was finally broken by the dark knight who true to his name was standing with the shadows wearing an expression of discontent as he often did.

"I would ask how you got in here."

Bruce was silent in response but the question needn't be answered in the first place.

"This creature... Doomsday. He will come back?" Bruce's voice was low even without his armor on

Clark unfolded his arms and turned to face him, looking over his face he could see tired eyes. Bruce was a man whose life is lived up in the corporate world but whose heart is down in the gutter with the people from the very backstreets to the city center of Gotham.

"He will, and he will be stronger than before."

Bruce's eyes fell as the hope left him and the tiredness that had pursued him these recent years resurfaced. How can anyone fight such a thing again?

"Bruce." Clark urged hardly above a whisper, only for them to hear, he continued "I know it will be hard, we can rest for a moment before Doomsday comes again."

Bruce closed his eyes and began to shake his head, pinching the bridge of his nose "We're supposed to keep doing this forever?"

Clark let a sigh escape him offering a sad smile to the Batman who was looking to him now with a questioning purpose, some hope to look forward to, an end to achieve.  
"Bruce. This is what evil does, like all the other villains we have ever faced so many return a new, so we must then again bring justice to those they wrong. What matters is not how long between those evils that we get to have peace but that we fight it every time it appears."

Like a weight had been lifted from the Batman's shoulders he was visibly relieved even stepping into the moonlight so Clark could see him clearly.

"So many people have died, and yet we have to go on even if we know its coming back."

Clark nodded in affirmation "That's right, and when they come back I'll stand with you to fight them again for as long as I'm able and so will a great many others if you let them."  
Bruce's gruff voice filled the room "Diana will be back in Gotham soon, we should find a way to keep in contact with each other."

Bruce was slowly edging closer to Clark with each distracted movement such as checking his digital watch and adjusting his tie.

"I believe shining a bat-signal out my window would be a bit too overt?"

Bruce spared a smirk "No harm in keeping one around."

They were now face to face in the moonlit space that was Clark's apartment. The Superman let out a breath he didn't know he was holding "I did break the last one didn't I?"

Bruce nodded

"Sorry about that."

There was a short silence before Clark noticed the Batman memorizing the details of his face, eyes drawn to his lips every so often.  
"I usually work alone, but if you think this Justice League as they're calling it down at your paper is going to work than I won't argue. After all when that creature comes back we're going to need all the help we can get."

Clark sighed "We can make this work. All of us."

"Have you found some more people to join us then?"

"A few."

Bruce moved away from him, leaving Clark with a sudden feeling of loss "Call me when you need me. For anything Clark." he placed a business card on the end table beside the door. Sparing one last look to the Superman before disappearing into the night once more.


	5. Bat Cave

Droplets of rushing water cascaded down from the ceiling of the rock outcrop forming a wall like shimmering glass. The sound of the falls echoed in the hollow of the cave, the distorted image of moonlight dancing on the waters surface illuminating the thin stretch of road that disappeared into the falls, splashes pattering against the asphalt before flickering away into fine spray showering the road ahead. Beam after beam held up the narrow road fit to hold only one vehicle in particular, either side with no barricades, the edges plummeting down into black pools gleaming with the reflection of artificial light. The road arrived at an open parking space where a large tarp lay, hiding a masterpiece only seen under the cover of darkness. The industrial building was embedded into the cave wall, protruding from it only with spacious glass encased rooms, empty of any personal value. The Batman called this place base of operations, nothing more, nothing less.

His large dark figure was outlined only by the glow of the bat-computer, a complex arrangement of state of the art technology and intelligence. This was by no means suggesting it was sentient, Bruce would never trust such technology, not that he trusted anything usually. Alfred was the only sentience this device needed. Each screen-top was displayed individually, each containing vital information; crime photos, police reports, informants intel, engineering reports from Lucius. One of the screens had an open tab of the Daily Planet, Clark Kent's publishing history, Bruce minimized that screen he needed to stay focused on the task at hand.

All around the computer were hastily cut out photos and headlines of every major and minor villain the Batman had fought over his time under the cowl. Each strand of red string tied from one pin to another, one headline sat alone from the chaos of red webs, unconnected to any evidence and removed from all lines of inquiry.

Bruce's eyes drifted to that headline every once in a while when he was lost in thought or just not particularly busy with Gotham's criminal underworld. Sometimes he would look at it and wonder...

'Joker Disappears Without Trace! Joker Dead?'

"Sir, if I might point out you've been more distracted as of late."

Bruce looked up from the grapple gun lying on top the desk his glove clad fingers idle over the keys, the dense but malleable leather of his armor bound wrists leaned against the edge of the desk with the raised piping and convex metal knuckles reflecting the images from the computer screen. His brown eyes were vacant and yet present enough to be considered weary. The dusted stubble that had started recently was now becoming more pronounced, Alfred had worked for young Master Wayne for a long time, now not so young. The strategically minded butler had learned a thing or two from being both eyes and ears for the worlds greatest detective. He would conclude that given the still and undisturbed surface of Gotham's criminal underground has been silent as the grave, Bruce was perhaps feeling both uninformed and out of practice. The Batman hated the lingering unsettling silence, criminals always talk even when they haven't tongues to speak. Why was everyone out there so quiet? Alfred agreed with such a question, but waiting here in the Bat-cave was not going to stir things up out there.

"We should go over the last sightings of each and every one of them. I want to know when they all went to ground. I want to know where they are." Bruce's voice was firm and tense, his attention now returning to the screen bearing the informants intel, it was looking thin in all honesty.

Alfred wanted to suggest a more forward course of action, say maybe interrogation. Investigation was not only made of intel gathering. Bruce needed to get out there and start asking around, turn over some stones.

"Sir, I should suggest you try locating some henchmen yourself? Maybe these criminals have left Gotham for a time."  
Bruce stood up from the computer turning to his butler and friend "All at the same time?" his voice was slightly argumentative.

"Bane is known to travel to and from Gotham all the time, his roots are in South America of course. Dr Crane I believe is always taken to working with various criminal elements which would find him in other cities. Waylon, Harleen and many others are currently serving time at the Belle Reve Facility. But from all of our city's collective criminal role call only one is truly ever present, immovable in fact."

"The Penguin."


End file.
